Two bald eagles near Big Bear Lake welcomed their second chick Monday, Feb. 12, the appearance of the white, fluffy chick bringing an end to weeks of anticipation for forest watchers and nature lovers.

On Sunday, the first of the two chicks hatched about 10 a.m. A YouTube livestream of the nest showed the second chick began cracking through its shell early Monday, in a process known as “pipping,” and fully emerged about 12:25 p.m.

The livestream of the nest is being captured by a solar-powered camera. The stream has caught the attention of nature lovers who have been anticipating the birth of the chicks since the mother eagle, called “Jackie” by locals, laid the eggs in early January.

Throughout the day Monday, the Big Bear Lake area experienced bouts of gusty winds and snow flurries, but the mother and father eagle took turns nestling over the chicks to keep them warm. This is necessary because the chicks cannot regulate their own temperatures, officials with the U.S. Forest Service said in a news release.

The adult eagles are a newly identified nesting pair, forest officials said, but the female is believed to have been one of the eagles that hatched in the nesting area about five years ago. The couple moved in last season and mated, but the courtship did not produce any eggs until the current season.

The female eagle, the larger of the two birds, can also be identified by a few black-tinged tail feathers. When she is completely grown her feathers will be fully white, according to the news release.

The Forest Service estimates the chicks will leave the nest in about two to three three months. They will stay close to their parents, however, while honing their hunting skills. Until then, the parents will pull double duty feeding themselves and their chicks.

Screen grab from Big Bear Eagle cam shows mom eating a pigeon and appears to be giving some to the new hatchlings.

Screen grab from Big Bear Eagle cam shows mom eating a pigeon and appears to be giving some to the new hatchlings.

Sound

The gallery will resume inseconds

Screen grab from Big Bear Eagle cam shows mom with eaglets, one which (left) is just coming out of its shell. (Courtesy image)

Screen grab from Big Bear Eagle cam shows mom with eaglets, one which (left) is just coming out of its shell.

According to the Forest Service, the Big Bear nesting territory has produced four eagles since 2012. As a precaution, the Forest Service closed off the area around the nest to public entry through June 22, the duration of nesting season. If any eagle nest is bothered, the birds will abandon the residence, experts say.

The public is invited to help biologists from the Forest Service and California State Parks complete the final bald eagle count for the winter season on March 10. Counts will take place at six Inland Empire lakes, including Big Bear Lake.